3D printing has really changed how we manufacture a lot of products such as limbs, 3D printed shoes, and aircraft parts. Fashion designers have unveiled shoes and clothing made from 3D printing, which I have mentioned before is plastic material being deposited layer upon layer to create. Recently Dutch designer showed off a 3D printed dress at Paris’ Fashion Week. Many experts see a day when we will be able to print customized clothing right in the store, or even from 3D printers we have in our homes. This could especially be true for 3D printed footwear that is customized to the wearer’s needs. The first 3D printed dresses were made of scratchy plastic that bothered models that wore them. It was discovered by Danit Peleg that FilaFlex, the flexible rubbery material fits the curve of the body really nicely. Now she can print an entire outfit including shoes and sunglasses.
Not only are convenience and customization advantages of 3D printed apparel but recyclability is as well. 3D printed clothes can be dumped into blender-like machines that can turn the plastics into a powder that can be reused to print something new. One of the challenges, for now, is that even small 3D printers can cost several hundred dollars. A printer that is capable of printing human-sized clothing is beyond the reach of traditional consumers. As for 3D printed shoes, they could become common over the next decade; which is why 3DShoes.com is so intrigued. Shoes will be more accessible for people to print at home than clothing because they’re smaller and less expensive. This is seen truer for children’s shoes since there is even less that needs to be printed.
Original Article: https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/soon-you-may-be-able-3d-print-clothing-your-own-ncna848646
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